Passionate and moving plea for everyone to care about Europe’s Muslim children selected for TED.com
Building relationships is key to stopping the cycle of violence, says UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary film director, Deeyah Khan.
Born in Norway to immigrant parents of Pashtun and Punjabi ancestry, she experienced many of the difficulties Muslim children growing up in European countries can face today. Aged 17, she fled from Norway confused, lost and torn between cultures. She chose film and music as the language for her social activism, not a gun.
Deeyah’s first, award-winning film, Banaz, explored a so-called ‘honour killing” in the UK. Her second film, the award winning and Bafta-nominated Jihad involved two years of interviews and filming with Islamic extremists, convicted terrorists and former jihadis. In her TEDxExeter talk What we don't know about Europe's Muslim kids she tells some of their stories and sheds light on the clash of cultures between Muslim parents who prioritise honour and their children's desire for freedom. She argues that we need to understand what is happening to fight the pull to extremism.
Deeyah Khan’s talk is one of very few TEDx talks chosen to be featured on TED.com where it will reach a significant, global audience.
“I’m both delighted and honoured that my talk has been one of those selected to appear on TED.com,” says Deeyah Khan. “Radicalisation is the most pressing problem of our age. Each violent act by extremists creates an increasing cycle of hatred which tears our communities apart.
“Through the research and interviews I carried out in the development of my documentary Jihad, I believe that one of the most effective means of stopping the cycle of violence is through building relationships. This can be difficult when young people feel themselves to be growing up between cultures, and belonging in neither. I am pleased that TED has given me this opportunity to share some simple ideas of how we can all work together to stop the cycle of violence and bring our communities back together.”
TEDxExeter Licensee and Curator Claire Kennedy adds: “Radicalism doesn’t respect borders, and we are losing too many of our young people to violent Jihad, so it is wonderful that Deeyah’s talk has been posted on TED where her ideas about how we can prevent radicalisation will reach millions of people worldwide. We work very hard to find the best possible speakers to bring to Exeter to share their ideas, and are delighted that this hard work has been recognised in this way.
“Ideas generated here at TEDxExeter inspire and impact people in incredible ways. Our audience grows bigger each year, both the audience watching our event live on the day and through the livestream, and those who watch our talks online afterwards. Having more talks on TED.com will increase the reach and impact of our speakers’ ideas.”
Image: Matt Round Photography
